Streets in Kirkdale are set to become safer thanks to funding secured from the government’s Safer Streets Fund.
The Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner’s office worked with Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council and Wirral Borough Council on joint bids for key projects aimed at cutting crime and improving safety in two of the region’s most deprived areas.
Over £800,000 has been granted, £385,000 of which will be used to focus on improving safety in the Flower Streets of Kirkdale, an area which has suffered high levels of crime and been blighted by drug dealing and gang crime in recent years.
Measures such as upgrading and increasing CCTV in the area, repairing and improving alley gates and introducing 70 new street lights will prevent crime, will be put in place making it safer for residents. The funding will also be used to carry out regular partnership days to support residents by providing crime prevention advice and tackle issues such as fly-tipping and graffiti.
The remaining funding will support projects in North Birkenhead.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “No-one should feel unsafe in their home or the area where they live.
“When this second round of the Safer Streets Fund was announced, my team worked with our partners to review areas across Merseyside to see where we could use this funding to make the biggest difference to local people.
“It was clear that the ‘Flower Streets’ of Kirkdale and the ‘North End’ of Birkenhead were two areas which had been particularly blighted by crime and anti-social behaviour in recent years, but where some simple, straightforward solutions could be put in place to prevent crime and significantly improve the safety of the people living there.
“With this funding, we will be able to put some long-term measures in place relatively quickly and easily that will make a genuine difference, helping to rejuvenate these areas and build safer, stronger, healthier communities. My thanks go to everyone who worked on these bids and I look forward to seeing the difference this major investment will make for people living in these areas.”
Liverpool Community Policing Superintendent Diane Pownall said: “It is great news to hear that this money has been allocated to Liverpool.
“The money will be spent making significant improvements to the ‘Flower streets’ in Kirkdale. The people who live in that area have long felt the effects of an area in decline and in particular the impact of drug dealing and antisocial behaviour on their day to day lives which we continue to tackle.
“The funding will be able to pay for partnership days and tackling the root cause of ASB such as graffiti, littering and improving street lighting. There will also be investment in improved CCTV.
“I hope that it will make a real difference to the local community and encourage people to feel proud of their local area.”
The Safer Streets Fund first opened for bids in January 2020 with the aim of helping to tackle burglary, theft and other offences in crime hotspots, following a 14 per cent increase in acquisitive crime nationally.
Bids were evaluated against a set criteria and Police Commissioners were asked to outline a plan to reduce crime within a local crime hotspot, demonstrating value for money, evidence of community engagement and long-term sustainability. Merseyside ‘s Police Commissioner received the fourth highest award after Nottinghamshire, West Mercia and South Yorkshire from 35 Police and Crime Commissioners who received funding.
